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How to spot the Walmart check scam

I focus on a lot of email scams, but there are still plenty of scams run by mail and phone. The Walmart check scam is labor intensive for fraudsters, but can be very lucrative. Jeri Lindsey warned all of her friends on Facebook about the scam when she barely avoided it.

The Walmart check scam in action

“I got a check and a letter in the mail from ‘Walmart’ asking if I wanted to be a secret shopper or Customer service evaluator,” Jeri reported. “The check was for almost $2000. DO NOT DO THIS! The check and the letter look legitimate. But it’s not. It tells you to go online and activate the check before you deposit it. It wants your drivers license number and your social security number to activate the check.”

Jeri went on to add that once the check was deposited, it would find its way to the scammer, who would then pull the bank account information for the account where the check had been deposited.

“Don’t get duped like I almost did,” Jeri said. “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

Well said, Jeri. The Walmart check scam is a classic example of how the scammer gets most of the information he needs from one location, then pulls different information after the victim has taken an initial step.

You can help spread the word. Here’s a tweet ready to go.

[tweetthis display_mode=”button_link”]Good #scamtip about the Walmart check scam[/tweetthis] — Good #scamtip about the Walmart check scam

Also, bravo to Walmart for stepping up and addressing the Walmart check scam on their website. “Walmart does NOT utilize these [mystery shopping] services. Fraudsters are sending fraudulent solicitations via mail, print, text, and e-mail to entice consumers to evaluate the retail experience, products and services at stores, including Walmart.”

Walmart check scam with a twist

Walmart also notes on their website that they will never mail a check and ask you to buy something, then keep the remainder of the check as payment for services rendered. This type of Walmart check scam is another form of the classic mystery shopper scam that can eventually let the bad guys gain access to your banking information.

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Terry

I started out as a skip tracer. Just in case you don’t know, that’s the guy who finds the people who don’t want to be found. It was the little things—getting paid to lie—that made skip tracing the fun part of the job.

Those years of chasing deadbeats taught me many valuable life lessons, such as liars come from all walks of life, and always keep your car in the garage.

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Comments

I received a cashiers check on a “Carter Bank &Trust” from FedEx. There was no explanation what the $2,200 check was for. I opened up the FedEx envelope and only the check was in there. Envelope had “Ralp Martins Walmart Bentonville, Ark.” I seldom shop at Walmart so I knew this was BS. I’m going to take it to the bank and let them see it. Probably just shred it there. “
“IF IT LOOKS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE—-GUESS WHAT!”

I received one of those checks today, It looks legitimate, written on a Union Bank blank of San Francisco from an escrow co. No prior phone call, letter, or email. I’ve never had anyone just hand me $995 There are too many red flags in the body of the letter. No Company letter head, don’t inform anyone of what your doing (several times) not asking for a day and time that you are to make your visit, don’t follow any other instructions, send your “Walmart mystery shopping” results to 2 different emails, Checkwalmart@aol.com & Checkwalmart@outlook.com, and telling you it’s your first assignment and you’re being judged for future assignments with a possible raise. These are the instructions from partner “A” the letter received with the check. Here is what happens. You cash the check, and head for your first Walmart. In the mean time, payment is stopped on that check or it has insufficient funds or no account, So what you thought was your commission and Walmart purchases, along with the remainder of the check you received, and was sent to partner “B” is NON EXISTENT-GONE. Whatever you bought or wrote checks for, or sent as a Money Gram or a Western Union money order is out of YOUR POCKET. I’m keeping the check (not cashing it). I’ve been taken once on a similar scam. If you would like names, I have several..

I’m not an attorney, Tami, but you are in receipt of money that is not yours. The liquor store made a huge mistake by cashing the check, but their mistake doesn’t let you off the hook if they decide to pursue this. Depending upon how long it’s been since you cashed the check, they may not yet realize they, too, have been victimized. The last thing you want to have happen is for this to go to court, so if you have a legal resource (perhaps check for a local Legal Aid Society?) it could be a good time to be proactive. Best of luck, you’re in a tough spot.

Yes they can and probably will. If you’re lucky you won’t be prosecuted for bad check fraud and they will just get a judgement against you for the amount of the check plus a bad check fee and interest. If they do get a judgement you are entitled to sue the issuer of the check but good luck finding them let alone their being accessible for a small claims suit.

You might as well assume you will not get anything from the scammers, nor should you really since you didn’t enter into a contract nor do any work for them. I’m not saying it’s your fault necessarily but remember that there’s no free lunch, companies don’t just mail out checks so you can have a free trip to the liquor store.

Unless you want to drag this out for years at great cost and hassle to you from collection agency calls, get ahead of it and with the first notice that it was bad, ask for them to make a settlement offer. If they will not, make a payment plan. Start saving NOW to get rid of this if you don’t have the funds available yet.

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The 411 on me

I started out skip tracing and collecting money from deadbeats and quickly learned that liars come from all walks of life. I never actually stole a car, but sometimes hired big guys with tow trucks and a penchant for working in the dark to “help” when negotiations failed.

Now, it's time for all those guys who stiffed me to pay up . . . on the page